We have made good progress in developing the smart city agenda across the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP (GBSLEP), made substantial inroads in delivering the Smart City Roadmap projects and activities, expanded the £40 million digital infrastructure programme to cover our surrounding LEPs, provided free and unlimited Wi-Fi to over 200 public buildings to improve digital inclusion and access to online services all our citizens and established a Digital Academy to support SMEs to maximise their digital capabilities to accelerate economic growth opportunities. Our pioneering work has seen Birmingham recognised as one of the top 15 UK cities for open data, only made possible through the support of our thriving data community and city partners making their data available.

We continue to represent the city on key international and national strategy and policy for helping to shape and steer future developments in the smart city and digital landscape. Our role as an established and trusted honest broker provides a gateway to the City Council, its resources and assets, enabling us to supported our partners in delivering complex and multi-sector projects and activities.

It's been a very busy year! I would like to thank all of our partners and collaborators from the public, private, academia, community & voluntary sectors who have made 2014/15 so memorable and look forward to an exciting 2015/16.